The overall objective of the programme is to promote inclusive and sustainable development through international trade.

It offers analysis and advice and seeks to build consensus, strengthen capacity and promote partnerships for trade policy, trade negotiations, trade in goods and services, competition law and consumer protection, and managing issues arising at the intersection of trade, the environment and climate change.

News

UNCTAD has reached agreement with the Latin American Integration Association (Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración, or ALADI) to strengthen cooperation in the area of non-tariff measures (NTMs). ​

A new United Nations Forum on Voluntary Sustainability Standards, which has just been launched, will focus during its first years on the role to be played by governments in making voluntary sustainability standards work for public policy objectives while avoiding trade friction and exclusion.

The labelling of coffee, cocoa, tea, bananas, fish, timber or flowers as "sustainable" under various voluntary certification programmes is among the key challenges facing agrofood-exporting developing countries that are to be discussed at a new United Nations Forum that debuts on 21 and 22 March.